Read along as we seek out the best of what the British Columbia coast (and beyond) has to offer.
Fish n’ Chips by the Sea
West Coast Road (Highway 14)
Jordan River, BC
Hungry hikers and Pacific Rimmers take note, a stop by Jordan River before entering the Juan de Fuca Park (or the many beaches that line the west coast of Vancouver Island), is worth making a stop for. Well, if anyone needs plenty of calories to burn before undertaking those hikes towards those many quiet (and popular) beaches, Fish n’ Chips by the Sea is a unique operation that, so I hear, runs rain or shine.
Runs every Thurs, Fri, and Sat & Sun from 11 am – 5:30 pm
From May 6 – September 30
Langley Street
E: After one hefty lunch, I was surprised that James could even eat more that day. When random readers like to point out our eagerness at being overweight, my only response at seeing my buddy eating a Boston Cream Doughnut at the Bastion Square Market was OMG. As much as I liked to partake in one too, at least I knew my limits… well, sort of.
J: I will confess, I gave in to the cravings and tossed my strict diet out the window just to sample one of the obese Boston creams occupying a stall at B-Red Bakery. Ed on the other hand was willing to sell his soul to sample some unique pasta.
Halibut House
3500 Quadra St
Victoria, BC
(250) 385-4944
E: After managing to kill an hour in two malls, Uptown and a quaint strip mall off of Quadra and Cloverdale, James and I found a taste of what I fondly remember from Cantonese style cooking cuisine. I heard good things about Halibut House from both cultures; the fish n’ chips are said to be killer, and a buddy who’s a chef says not many places can prepare tripe right.
Qoola Frozen Yogurt Bar
Uptown Centre
101-3531 Uptown Blvd.
Saanich, BC
(250) 590-6816
J: Ed managed to achieve one of the improbabilities in his life. Did he solve the riddle of life, the universe and everything? No. Did he manage to get himself a girlfriend? No. Did he manage to find me a girlfriend. Hey, I said improbable, not impossible.
Ed managed to coax me to Uptown Centre. And anyone who knows me knows I dislike Uptown. It’s massively big and it confuses me. I feel more at home in Mayfair Mall or Hillside Centre. Even when I’m walking in the area of Uptown, I’d rather go around the behemoth then use it as a shortcut.
But Ed said the one thing I and I am sure no true Scotsman can resist, he offered to buy. This is one of the reasons he is my best friend. He knows me as much as I know myself.
Voodoo Coffee and Taboo Gourmet Cheesecake
400-2950 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC
250-590-1017
When a name like Voodoo Coffee and Taboo Gourmet Cheesecake hits me with a ‘must try’ spell, I was in there and enjoying some beautifully smooth chocolate cheesecake pie. I was more than captivated. This place does very well to replace the once popular Cheesecake Café that graced this city of Victoria more than ten years ago.
Skinnytato Polish Restaurant
615 Johnson Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 590-6550
J: A lesson to be learned by one hungry bloke is that a barely populated establishment does not a poor restaurant make. Or at least not below average in any sense of the word. It was a shoot-out between Skinnytato and Lotus Pond.
Ed had reinforced my doubts about the fact that we had recently done the Asian food scene to death. It was time to call for a change.
